The first 4K TVs running Amazon’s software and Alexa launch today for under $500

Like Roku before it, Amazon is working with TV makers to release smart televisions with the company’s own software filling in as the main operating system. Today we’re getting a much better idea of what that looks like with the inexpensive Element Amazon Fire TV Edition 4K TV lineup. These TVs will also be sold under the Westinghouse brand (instead of Element) depending on market. They’re available to preorder at Amazon for prices ranging from $449 (43-inch model) to only $899 for a 65-inch display. You’ll be able to find them at stores sometime next month.

Unlike the TCL sets we recently saw, these TVs don’t support Dolby Vision or HDR. They’re just regular old 4K screens that run Amazon’s Fire TV software. I can’t speak for the display quality, as I only spent a few minutes looking at the Element and Westinghouse Fire TV Editions in a brightly lit conference room. Their prices and third-tier brands suggest that they won’t compete with today’s top UHD TVs, but they might be plenty good enough for some consumers. And the software side of things is really promising.

Since the TV comes with 16GB of internal storage, you can also pause and rewind live TV from your antenna. That’s a feature that Roku TVs only added in November, so you can see just how aggressively and quickly Amazon is catching up. And those same voice controls on the remote also let you switch inputs, adjust volume, and other critical TV functions. (You can just say “Go to NBC” instead of a channel number to switch live TV channels, also.) My only gripe with the remote is there’s no headphone port. I love that private listening feature on Roku, but you’ve still got the option to use Bluetooth headphones.

I’ll be taking a closer look at one of these TVs soon, and that’s when I’ll be able to speak to the 4K picture quality. But just like Roku TVs, the selling point here is simplicity. If you want a frustration-free TV experience with all the apps you need — and if you don’t require the best image quality — I get the sense you’d be very happy with this Fire TV Edition and future models to come. But if you’re particular about specs, here they are:

• Resolution: 3840 x 2160 (4K UHD)
• Refresh rate: 120Hz / 60Hz (for 4K UHD)
• Processor: Quad-core T1-938
• GPU: ARM Mali Multi-core 3D GPU3GB
• Memory: 3 GB
• Storage: 16GB internal
• Ports: HDMI x 4 (HDMI 2.0 with HDCP 2.2), Component/Composite x 1, Optical SPDIF x 1, TV/DTV x 1, USB 2.0 x 1, USB 3.0 x 1, Ethernet x 1 (10/100/1000Mbp), VGA x 1, Headphone x 1, RCA Input x 1
• Wi-Fi: Dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi (MIMO). Supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi networks.
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.1 + LE, with support for HFP and A2DP for private listening via Bluetooth headphones, HID, and SPP
• Streaming resolution: 2160p, 1080p, and 720p up to 60fps